Procurement Advice Specific to Service
- Continuing Professional Development
To secure best value from CPD, schools should consider a range of
factors that cover the full cycle of planning, provision, delivery and
evaluation. Some key questions are listed below, but this list is not
exhaustive and the criteria will vary according to the type of activity.
For Planning
- does it meet identified individual, schools or national development priorities?
- will it help to raise standards of pupils’ achievements?
- is it based, where appropriate, on relevant standards, eg. National Standards for Subject Leaders?
For Provision
- does the provider set out the aims and objectives of the activity?
- is the target audience clearly indicated?
- are charges clearly stated?
- are the terms and conditions of the booking clearly publicised,
e.g. what is the provider’s cancellation policy? - are details of the people delivering the programme given?
For Delivery
(a provider should be willing to provide answers to these questions,
and references, if requested)
- do tutors have the necessary experience, expertise and skills?
- will materials be provided, if applicable, for the participant to use with staff in their own school?
- will the venue be appropriate for the planned activity?
- will the activity be informed by recent, relevant research and/or inspection evidence?
- will it run? (The Code of Practice states that delegates must be notified within five working days if it becomes necessary to cancel or postpone an event, unless the reason is illness or other unpredictable emergency)
For Evaluation
- is there a participant evaluation form that invites comment on the extent to which the aims and objectives were met, the quality of delivery and materials, and the overall quality of the activity?
- does the provider observe its deliverers as part of its monitoring programme?
- does the provider include longitudinal monitoring as part of its quality assurance programme, ie. do they follow up a sample of participants in the medium- or long-term to evaluate the impact of a training event?
- are there contact details for follow-up guidance and/or a website where additional support materials and CPD opportunities can be found?
The key document for schools and other education providers is “Good
Value CPD: A Code of Practice for Providers of Professional Development
for Teachers”, DfEE Ref: 0059/2001. This Code of Practice is intended to
help schools understand what can and should be expected from outside
providers, although it does not have the force of law. Other significant
documents are listed at the end of this entry: Ofsted’s “Training
Standards” is of particular interest because it lists the criteria Ofsted
uses when it monitors providers of its licenced courses.
In 2002 the DfES approved a set of national Professional Standards for
School Improvement Professionals. The aim of these standards is to ensure
quality in school improvement services, including CPD, and discussion has
commenced with the DfES on their implementation, which may result in an
“accredited provider” scheme. In the meantime, there are
externally-awarded “quality marks” that schools can look for. For example,
many of the larger CPD providers work towards business standards such as
ISO 9001:2000 and Investors in People; some courses run under licence, e.g.
Ofsted School Self-Evaluation training; and there are a small number of
independently-awarded kite marks, e.g. the Professional Development Board
for Physical Education (PDB-PE) Providers’ Licence.
References
- Good Value CPD: A Code of Practice for Providers of
Professional Development for Teachers. Ref: DfEE 0059/2001
- Guidance on Producing a Professional Development Record.
Ref: DfES 0649/2001
- Teachers’ Standards Framework. Ref: DfES/0647/2001
- Continuing Professional Development in Schools. HMI 410
- Training Standards. Ofsted, October 2002